Online (free) classes on Tawheed and Etiquettes of Seeking Knowledge

Assalamu Alaikum.

Ustadh Fahad Al-Tahiri, the teacher who is giving the Arabic classes, is also going to be offering other classes, insha-Allah.

As I mentioned before (all times are in UAE  time):

1) Sarf Level 1 is from 6:30-7:30am every day.

2) Sarf Level 2 is from 8-9pm every day.

As for the other classes which start from Sunday, insha-Allah:

1) Tawheed (Four Fundamental Principles, Three Fundamental Principles, Ten Acts Revoking Islam, Book of Monotheism) is from 6:15-7:15 pm every day.

2) Principle and Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge is from 7:30-8:30am every day.

[As far as I know, these intensive courses will only be for about 2-3 weeks. I’ll reconfirm, insha-Allah.]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Study tawheed and you’ll see the difference it makes in your life.

Also, I would really recommend this teacher because:

1) He knows what he is talking about.

2) He is very humble, masha-Allah. He doesn’t talk about what he is unsure of.

3) He always quotes references from the Quran, ahadeeth and the scholars’ statements.

4) He explains everything in a simple way.

What do you need to do?

1) Go to WIZIQ and register for a free account.

2) Search for Fahad Al-Tahiri.

3) You’ll see his future (public) classes at the bottom of his profile and his past classes below that.

4) Click on the class name and then join the class.

5) When the time for class comes, simply go to the class and launch it.

6) If you cannot attend the class, then you can always download the recording (which is some WIZIQ like thingy)  later (about 2-4 hours after the class).

I’d still advise you to try to attend because then you can always ask him questions during the class.

Again, this is an ideal opportunity, especially for those in the UAE.

Please forward this to all those who might be interested (and also to all those who might not be interested).

Jazakumullahu kheira.

Direct link for the Arabic classes

Assalamu Alaikum.

Here’s the direct link for the first Arabic class:

http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/440517-sarf-level-one-intro-to-seeking-knoweldge-particularly-arabic

Note: If you are unable to take the class, you should be able to download a recording after the class, insha-Allah.

Again, I would really, really, really recommend that all of you take these classes, even if you have studied sarf before.

I’ve studied sarf before as well but there were so many gems that I came across in Ustadh Fahad’s classes, masha-Allah.

 

Upcoming course for sisters on Fiqh of Dawah and Ibaadah

Assalamu Alaikum.

Markaz Al Huda is offering a short intensive course on the Fiqh of Dawah and Ibaadah. It’s being taught by Brother Muhammad Salah (of Al-Huda TV fame).

Please see the flyer below for more information:

[Click on the flyer to enlarge it.]

Note: The course is not free (sorry). It’s AED 200 per person.

Also, the last date for registration is the 8th. It seems that there aren’t many spaces left so if you’re interested in joining the course, please hurry!

Please pass on this information to all our sisters in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman (especially those that keep complaining about the lack of classes around!).

Jazakumullahu kheira.

Arabic classes to start on Thursday, insha-Allah

Assalamu Alaikum.

I mentioned here that the classes would start tomorrow (Wednesday).

However, the teacher just sent out a message stating that it would start on Thursday morning, insha-Allah.

Level 1 is at about 6:20 am everyday for a few weeks.

Level 2 is at 8pm.

For all those who work or study in the UAE, this is an IDEAL opportunity for you. The classes are after Fajr and BEFORE you leave for work or university (for most people anyway).

We can keep saying “We really want to learn Arabic” but the proof is in the pudding.

If we don’t take advantage of such a fantastic opportunity then I think it means that we really weren’t serious about learning Arabic.

Please take these classes (you can even do it as a family!) and stick with them until they end, insha-Allah.

And please tell everyone about these classes.

Jazakumullahu kheira.

(Free) (Online) Arabic Grammar classes starting from Wednesday…

Assalamu Alaikum.

[Update: It’s going to start on Wednesday and not Monday as originally stated. The teacher said he would send us a detailed schedule. When he does, Ill post it here, insha-Allah.]

Free.

Online.

Arabic.

Isn’t that what everybody’s been waiting for?

Well, it’s here.

A sister (may Allah reward her greatly) has put up all the details here.

Some random points:

1) Sarf  = Verb conjugation. Studying sarf was what really opened up the Arabic language for me.

2) The teacher is really excellent, may Allah preserve him and reward him greatly. He’s very patient and explains things in depth.

3) He’s from the UAE which means:

a) He’s one of our own! [Sorry but Dorothy was right. There’s no place like home.]

b) All the times mentioned are UAE time, which means I and my fellow denizens of the UAE don’t have to beat our heads trying to figure out all the EST/AST/GMT business.

4) The classes start Wednesday at 6:15 am.

To all those who are truly interested in learning the Arabic language: Do NOT miss this opportunity. You might never get such a great chance again.

Just think of how it’ll feel to understand the Quran next Ramadan….

The Last Man to Enter Paradise…

Assalamu Alaikum.

A nice little heart softener for today so that we can reflect on the Mercy of the Lord of the Worlds:

[Note: Such heart softeners are supposed to do just that: soften hearts, which means that we need to INCREASE in our love and obedience to Allah, rather than keep chirping that cop out excuse of “Allah forgives everything” every time we disobey him.

Reading this hadeeth should make us realise what a merciful Lord we have and that should make us increase in worship out of gratitude and hope.]

Ibn Masood reported: Verily the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alaihi wasallam)  said: The last to enter Paradise would be a man who would walk once and stumble once and be burnt by the Fire once. Then when he gets beyond it, he will turn to it and say: Blessed is He Who has saved me from thee. Allah has given me something He has not given to any one of those in earlier or later times.

Then a tree would be raised up for him and he will say: O my Lord I bring me near this tree so that I may take shelter in its shade and drink of its water. Allah, the Exalted and Great, would say: O son of Adam, if I grant you this, you will ask Me for something else. He would say: No. my Lord. And he would promise Him that he would not ask for anything else. His Lord would excuse him because He sees what he cannot help desiring; so He would bring him near it, and he would take shelter in its shade and drink of its water.

Afterwards a tree more beautiful than the first would be raised up before him and he would say: O my Lord! bring me near this tree in order that I may drink of its water and take shelter in its shade and I shall not ask Thee for anything else. He (Allah) would say: O son of Adam, if I bring you near it you may ask me for something else. He would promise Him that he would not ask for anything else. His Lord will excuse him because He would see something he cannot help desiring. So He would bring him near it and he would enjoy its shade and drink its water.

Then a tree would be raised up for him at the gate of the Paradise, more beautiful than the first two. He would say: O my Lord! bring me near this (tree) so that I may enjoy its shade and drink from its water. I shall not ask Thee for anything else. He (Allah) would say: O son of Adam! did you not promise Me that you would not ask Me anything else? He would say: Yes, my Lord, but I shall not ask Thee for anything else. His Lord would excuse him for He sees something the temptation of which he could not resist.

He (Allah) would bring him near to it, and when He would bring him near it he would hear the voices of the inhabitants of the Paradise. He would say: O my Lord! admit me to it. He (Allah) would say: O son of Adam, what will bring an end to your requests to Me? Will it please you if I give you the whole world and a like one along with it? He will say: O my Lord! art Thou mocking at me, though Thou art the Lord of the worlds?

Ibn Masud laughed and asked (the hearers): Why don’t you ask me what I am laughing at. They (then) said: Why do you laugh? He said: It is in this way that the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alaihi wasallamm) laughed. They (the companions of the  Prophet) asked: Why do you laugh, Messenger of Allah?

He said: On account of the laugh of the Lord of the universe, when he (the desirer of Paradise) said Thou are mocking at me though Thou art the Lord of the worlds? He would say: I am not mocking at you, but I have power to do whatever I will. [Saheeh Muslim, Hadeeth No. 361]

Another narration has the following additional information:

Allah will remind him: Ask such and such, and when his expectations would be realised, Allah would say: That is for you, and ten times as much. He said that he would then enter his house and his two wives with large and dark eyes would enter after him. They will say: Praise be to Allah, Who has created you for us and us for you. He will say: No one has been given the like of what I have been given. [Saheeh Muslim, Hadeeth No. 362]

A dua request…

Assalamu Alaikum.

Well, I’m not really one for dua requests but this piece of news really took the wind out of my sails.

Who’s the dua for? Well, let me summarise her story first so that you understand:

She’s someone who has lost two of her three children (both in their early twenties). They died within two years of each other.

The first (a boy; I knew him in university) died in a car accident. The second (a girl) died of cancer.

As for the third child, he is alive, alhamdulillah but she is being tested with him in other ways. (Sorry, it’s personal so I will not elaborate.)

I was supposed to meet her many years ago through a common friend yet ironically I ended up meeting her quite recently through a sister that I met on this blog!

You’d think that with two children having died that she would be a shadow of her former self. On the contrary, she was a jolly woman who gives Islamic classes. She praised Allah for aiding her through her trials and never uttered any words of blame.

When I saw her, I finally understood a statement  that I had heard about gratitude  to Allah showing on one’s limbs.

Today, she is facing another test. Her husband was diagnosed with cancer a few days ago, and will have an operation in two weeks.

I was shocked and both the sisters (the one that was supposed to introduce  us and the one that eventually did do that) were speechless with horror.

I request all of you to PLEASE pray for her husband’s swift recovery and to pray that things are made easy for her.

Please don’t pray like you’re praying for two strangers, rather pray as though you are praying for your own friends or family members.

May Allah cure her husband and make things easy for her. Ameen.

Jazakumullahu kheira.

Article: Winter – The Best Season

Assalamu Alaikum.

Best Season for what, you ask?

Worshipping Allah, of course.

[Okay, for me personally, summer has always been the best season for worshipping Allah as I find it much easier at this time. However, as I’ve always been a bit strange, you may safely ignore my opinion.]

Here’s an article about why winter* is the best season:

[Winter in the UAE is 20 degrees Celsius but that’s summer for those in Britain, so “winter” is a relative term.]

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http://iskandrani.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/the-best-season/

Winter: The Best Season

Abu  Sabaaya

It is said that winter is a time when people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as ‘the Winter Blues’ or winter depression. However, it is interesting to see how the early Muslims welcomed winter, as it is clear that they saw it in a totally different light.

Here are four ways that they would benefit from winter:

1 & 2 – Fasting and praying

It was reported by al-Haythami in ‘Majma’ az-Zawa’id’ (3/203) with a hasan chain that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “Winter is the best season for the believer. Its nights are long for him to pray in, and its days are short for him to fast in.”

And Ahmad reported in ‘az-Zuhd’ (p. 118) with an authentic chain that ‘Umar bin al-Khattab said: “Winter is the prize of the worshippers.”

Article: Fasting on Aashoora

Assalamu Alaikum.

Yes, more Muharram articles to whet your appetite.

Here’s a nice one about Aashoora:

[Note: The addition about this being the day that the ark of Nuh (alaihissalam) settled on Mount Judi is not authentic.]

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http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/books/80

Praise be to Allaah,

‘Aashooraa’ in History

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of ‘Aashooraa’. He said, ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘This is a righteous day, it is the day when Allaah saved the Children of Israel from their enemies, so Moosa fasted on this day.’ He said, ‘We have more right to Moosa than you,’ so he fasted on that day and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1865).

“This is a righteous day” – in a report narrated by Muslim, [the Jews said:] “This is a great day, on which Allaah saved Moosa and his people, and drowned Pharaoh and his people.”

“Moosa fasted on this day” – a report narrated by Muslim adds: “… in thanksgiving to Allaah, so we fast on this day.”

According to a report narrated by al-Bukhaari: “… so we fast on this day to venerate it.”

A version narrated by Imaam Ahmad adds: “This is the day on which the Ark settled on Mount Joodi, so Nooh fasted this day in thanksgiving.”

“and commanded [the Muslims] to fast on that day” – according to another report also narrated by al-Bukhaari: “He said to his Companions: ‘You have more right to Moosa than they do, so fast on that day.”

The practice of fasting on ‘Aashooraa’ was known even in the days of Jaahiliyyah, before the Prophet’s mission. It was reported that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “The people of Jaahiliyyah used to fast on that day…”

Al-Qurtubi said: “Perhaps Quraysh used to fast on that day on the basis of some past law, such as that of Ibraaheem, upon whom be peace.”